?I came to TOPS 25 years ago in May 2000. A couple of months before, I had seen my doctor, and he wasn’t pleased with my health. I weighed over 450 pounds, and I was a smoker. He said if I didn’t lose weight, I wasn’t going to live much longer. He told me about TOPS, and after looking them up, I learned that there was a chapter in Melrose.
?Everyone in the chapter was so friendly and warm. There was no negativity, and it was motivational and supportive. I believe this is what kept me going to chapter meetings and has carried on doing what I do when a new person joins us. I learned that first impressions do matter.
?I started making changes in my life slowly, morphing from junk food to eating healthier. I started exercising, mainly walking. I met resistance from myself and from my roommate, who was my eating buddy. Walking, because of arthritis, was painful. I lived on Main Street, and when I walked outside, I was harassed by teenagers because of my weight.
?In the beginning, I wondered how I was going to lose so much weight. I became depressed thinking about it, as I was the biggest person at our chapter meetings. Though I was depressed, I wanted to live. I went to meetings, listened, and learned how to keep going.
?I discovered I needed to make small, achievable goals, such as losing five pounds, which was doable. One of my sayings is that small goals equal big success. So many people are in a hurry to lose weight, but I wasn’t. I wanted to lose it and make sure it stayed off forever.
?To lose weight, I couldn’t just eat healthy and exercise. I also needed to face my other issues head-on. There are reasons I have been overweight my entire life, mainly because I was a compulsive overeater. I received personal help, and with the support of my TOPS friends and attending meetings, lost 100 pounds and received my Century Club medallion in 2006. That was one of my first major TOPS achievements.
?Attending TOPS meetings and being with my TOPS friends has helped me tremendously. I hear what other people are doing to lose weight, how they are eating, and cooking healthy, the exercises they are doing, and the foods they’re eating. I have learned so much and implemented things in my own life. I’ve learned you need to try different things, and if it doesn’t work, move on to something else.
?Before joining TOPS, I was a diabetic on medication. I had sleep apnea, bad asthma, high blood pressure, chest pains, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, exhaustion, body pain, and no stamina. I walked with either a cane or a walker, and if I fell on the floor, I couldn’t get up. I was severely depressed and thought about dying. I felt hopeless.
?Now, my diabetes is in remission. I don’t have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. I no longer suffer from congestive heart failure. My overall health is much better, as is my outlook on life.
?Through TOPS, I’ve learned that if you are compulsively overeating, try to do something else to let the feeling of needing to eat pass. If those feelings don’t pass, try to find a food alternative. When I have those feelings, I eat diet Jello. If I crave chocolate, I eat a diet chocolate pudding or make no-sugar cocoa and add sweetener.
?If you have a slip, don’t say I’ll start again tomorrow. If you slip, stop there and go back to eating responsibly. If something isn’t working, start something new in its place.
?Patience is something everyone needs, and humor is the key to a happier, more meaningful life. Spend time with people who support your new lifestyle and who love you. You can lose weight, but if your mind isn’t ready for your body to be thinner, you’ll likely regain the weight you lost.
?My biggest message is never giving up. It may take time to reach your goals, but you can do it. Sometimes it takes longer, and that’s OK. Be patient with yourself. You control your destiny.